‘Police must reinstate me before I die’

Mr. Martin Kayode is not a happy man. For years, he served the police in Delta State. He was supposed to have retired from the Nigerian Police Force in February but he was dismissed before then and not even a 2005 Federal High Court judgement ordering his reinstatement worked in his favour.

Nine years after the court judgment, Martin, who was a Sergeant as at the time he was dismissed, is battling to be reinstated. The Police Service Commission, in a letter by its Secretary, E Gonda and dated June 7th 2010, asked Martin to report to the Inspector General of Police for deployment.

The letter reads,:“In line with the policy of the Commission to obey all court Judgments and in compliance with the Order of the Federal High Court in Suit No. FHC/B/CS/112/2003 issued on the 12th day of April 2005, the Commission hereby reinstates you into the Nigeria Police Force with effect from 04/04/2001, the day you were dismissed.”

In another letter to the IG, the PSC requested that Martin be made to undergo refresher course with a view to updating him.

Martin, in an interview, said he was not told what his crimes were after he was arrested while serving as a member of a Federal Tax Force of the Petroleum Products Marketing Company (PPMC) and was in charge of posting policemen on duty to guard pipelines in Warri.

According to him, “I joined the police in 1979 as a Constable and I was dismissed from the police through a signal with Ref No. DT03112 on May 2001. I joined to serve my country. I served in Federal Tax Force in Delta State and other places. My problems started when I posted some policemen to Oregha River beat.

“I ordered the arrest and detention of four out of the five police that went out for duty that night for not arresting pipeline vandals that came to vandalise pipelines at their beat. I was later arrested and was asked to resume duty after an orderly room trial.”

Sgt. Thomas said the police officer who reviewed the case dismissed him and others from the Nigerian Police for conspiracy and economic sabotage.

He said he filed a writ of summons at the Federal High Court in Benin and court gave judgment in his favor in 2005.

He said, “After waiting for reinstatement, I filed contempt against them. The PSC went to court with my reinstatement letter, the letter was sent to the IG, till today, the IG has refused to obey the PSC or the court.”

“I don’t want to die like this. The police must reinstate me and pay me my full benefits as a DSP.”